Community Health Worker III

Job Description

Job Description

Conducts culturally appropriate outreach, lay health education, and access services in community based settings. Acts as a liaison between individuals, the Community Health Center, and area social service providers.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Outreach, Engagement and Population Health Activities:

• Conducts outreach in public and community settings in order to raise awareness of health center services and enroll individuals in need of health care services. Evening and weekend hours occasionally required.

• Maintains supplies of health center brochures and promotional materials in public display racks throughout the service area.

• Collaborates across interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement data-driven outreach strategies to re-engage patients in care, address SDoH, and inform other efforts to improve patient health outcomes.

Patient Support Activities:

• Reduces patient access barriers by educating on health center services and programs and assistance with registration and scheduling processes as needed.

• Provides transportation for clients per health center transportation assistance protocol. Operates health center vehicle safely and maintains detailed daily activity log and vehicle log per health center policies and procedures.

• Accurately maintains daily activity logs regarding client activity and destinations.

Care Coordination for Health Related Social Needs

• Conducts screenings to assess for health related social needs such as housing access and safety, utilities costs, food access, transportation needs, employment, job training and education, language barriers, and physical/psychological safety.

• Conducts follow-up with patients identified as having health-related social needs through screenings and referrals completed by other members of the dental, behavioral health, and primary care teams.

• Uses established community resource databases to connect patients with social service agencies who provide services for identified health-related social needs. Assists with application processes as needed.

• Uses data systems to track and evaluate the types of services, SDoH resources, and patient engagement activities that the CHW conducts and their impact on patient outcomes.

Case Management

• Confers as needed and on a timely basis with health center clinicians regarding patient issues and concerns.

• Assists health center providers and staff by providing cultural insight into client concerns and treatment plan.

Training and Development

• Participates in workforce trainings and technical assistance opportunities to support skill development for CHWs and guidance on strengthening CHW programs for health centers.

• Participates in monthly CHW department meetings.

• Participates in program-specific and/or primary care meetings, per CHW specialization.

Insurance and Financial Assistance Navigation

• Completes necessary training to become certified to use the on-line state health coverage application system. Assists health center clients and potential clients with applying for coverage and follow up on pending applications.

• Processes applications for health center Sliding Fee Discount Program and communicates eligibility decisions with CHCFC’s third-party billing company, and with department operations managers.

• Confers and coordinates with Patient Services Director regarding monthly data required for reporting purposes.

REQUIRED SKILLS, EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Formal training or 1-3 years’ related experience required
• State certification as a Community Health Worker required
• Additional certification required in one or more of the following: medical interpreting certification, navigator certification, or certified application counselor.

Experience: Prior community outreach or medical office/interpreting experience with specific experience with MassHealth, Children’s Medical Security Plan or other public health programs preferred.

Skills: Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred. The Community Health Worker must possess specific knowledge of the target subpopulation/community to be served. Strong commitment to CHCFC Mission. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to work with a diverse population and sensitivity to low-income populations. Safe driver with good driving record and current MA license to operate an automobile required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, walk, sit, use the hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. Must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

While performing the required duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent when traveling between Health Center locations where medical care is provided. This position performs tasks that involve exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues.

This job description is subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the employee works. Performs other duties as assigned.